2023 Annual Report

With fatal overdoses still a concern, the need for community education and prevention efforts is important now more than ever.  AveNew, a UWGK initiative, works to raise community awareness, increase access to evidence-based education for young people, reduce stigma surrounding substance use and connect those affected by addiction to available services and resources. 

This year AveNew also hosted the VIVE18 Program in two middle schools to build student-led coalitions creating a safe and fun school environment that is substance free. AveNew’s community education campaign this year centered around the themes that “Prevention is Possible” and “Recovery is Real” and had over 2.5 million connection points, including billboards, social media ads, local recovery story videos and community events. 

One of the results of the opioid epidemic is broken or separated families where individuals are raising relative family member’s children.  In Sullivan County alone, there were over 2,000 grandparents raising their grandchildren in 2020 - and that doesn’t include other relative caregivers such as aunts and uncles.  To help provide encouragement and resources, the GRANDfamilies Network meets on the second Wednesday of each month to offer a chance for them to share together from lived experience. 

ENSURING HEALTH, SAFETY, AND STABILITY

American Red Cross of Northeast Tennessee – Disaster Cycle Services ($117,599) serves people affected by disaster and continually strengthens its own capacity and the capacity of communities for disaster, response and recovery.

Appalachian Miles for Smiles- Appalachian Miles for Smiles Mobile Dental Unit ($24,000) provides quality dental care and eye examinations at no cost to uninsured residents of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. 

CASA for Kids, Inc. – Core Program ($48,500) supports and promotes professionally-trained community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children’s best interest within the Juvenile Court and ensure safe and stable placements.

Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County – Counseling Program ($37,929) provides trauma-focused treatment to the child victims of sexual abuse and severe physical abuse in a child-friendly environment that focuses on the well-being of the child.

Children’s Advocacy Center of Sullivan County – Victim Services Program ($10,000) provides counseling and assistance to the non-offending parents or caregivers of victims.

Friends in Need Health Center– Appalachian Miles for Smiles Mobile Dental Unit ($21,600) provides quality dental care and eye examinations at no cost to uninsured residents of East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.

Friends in Need Health Center – Dental Services Program ($62,000) provides affordable dental care to the working uninsured of the Greater Kingsport area.

Friends in Need Health Center – Medical Services Program ($24,000) provides affordable medical care to the working uninsured or underinsured of the Greater Kingsport area.

Holston Counseling (Frontier Health) – Outpatient Services ($57,738) offers a wide variety of services, including various therapy types, case management, and medication management to those with mental, addiction or co-occuring conditions.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee – Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Program ($17,500) provides family safety and stability for victims of domestic violence through court orders granting a divorce or order of protection.

Link House (Frontier Health) – Core Program ($41,855) provides food, shelter, crisis intervention, diagnostic and evaluation services as well as counseling to adolescent females who are neglected, abused, runaway, unruly, or delinquent.

Mountain Region Speech & Hearing Center – Speech-Language Scholarship Program ($65,000) provides infants, children and adults with highest quality and cost effective evaluation, treatment and education for speech, language and swallowing disorders regardless of their ability to pay.

SAFE House (Frontier Health) – Domestic Violence Shelter Program ($61,350) provides a safe, confidential, and temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence and their dependent children. 24/7 services may include crisis services, transportation, advocacy, follow-up and community education.

Salvation Army – Social Services Program ($67,000) provides basic human needs--clothing, food, rent, mortgage, utilities, and medicine--without discrimination.

Salvation Army – Emergency Shelter Program ($33,673) provides lodging, meals, personal hygiene items, clothing, counseling, job placement, financial planning, and survival skills to assist individuals/ families in becoming self-sufficient.

SUPPORTING AGING WITH CHOICES

First Tennessee Human Resource Agency – Personal Support Services Program ($20,500) promotes self-sufficiency and prevents institutional placement by providing cost-effective in-home care for individuals in threat of harm due to abuse or neglect.

Meals on Wheels of Kingsport – Core Program ($120,000) provides hot, nutritious meals and human contact to isolated, incapacitated senior citizens and, if appropriate, other home-bound, disabled persons to facilitate safe, independent living.

United WE READ is building a literacy rich community in the Greater Kingsport area. The mission of United WE READ is to engage, empower and equip all children, and families with tools and strategies that build a path to life long success. The vision of United WE READ is to ensure by the end of 3rd grade, all students will be proficient or advanced in reading. It is essential to begin with early learning to achieve that goal. 

2023 United WE READ key areas of focus:

PreK/Kindergarten Readiness

Parent/Community Engagement

School District Relationships

PreK/Kindergarten Readiness efforts overlap into all focus areas

HELPING CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUCCEED

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Tri-Cities – Community-Based & Site-Based Mentoring Program ($65,000) matches caring, consistent adult volunteers with children in our community who need a friend and mentor.

Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kingsport – Formula for Impact ($143,345) this is a combined program that provides a safe environment helping teens realize their fullest potential by providing quality programs that enhance health, social, and educational development. Also helps children realize their fullest potential by providing childcare programs that enhance their health, social, and educational development.

Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians, Inc. – Leadership Experience Program ($13,600) provides a comprehensive leadership development program that positively impacts girls grades K-12 by building skills that lead to future success.

Girls Inc. of Kingsport – Core Program ($166,500) provides facility-based and off-site outreach programs both after-school, after hours, and during the summer for girls ages 4-19 that enhance their educational, occupational and physical development.

Holston Children & Youth Services (Frontier Health)  – School-Based Prevention Program ($35,400) provides clinical services for at-risk students with academic, social, and/or behavioral problems; helps schools maintain safe, disciplined learning environments; and provides consultation for teachers and collaboration with counselors.

Kingsport Child Development Center – Sliding Fee Scale/Income-Based Childcare Program ($112,667) provides quality childcare/preschool services implementing developmentally-appropriate programs meeting the social, emotional, and educational needs of all children served at affordable rates for parents/guardians.

Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America – Youth Development Program ($13,600) teaches participants life-long skills and values. They acquire the skills they need to make the right choices, meet challenges and overcome them. Youth learn today what will sustain them tomorrow.

Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Equine-Assisted Activities & Therapies Program ($20,000) enhances the physical, emotional, social, cognitive and behavioral growth of individuals with special needs and disabilities through both mounted and unmounted equine-assisted activities and therapies.

Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Equine-Assisted Positive Youth Development Program ($16,000) enhances the fundamental life skills and personal development of children and youth by providing prosocial, leadership and work/college-readiness skills through the utilization of equine-assisted experiential learning activities.

Sullivan County Imagination Library – Sullivan County Imagination Library Program ($22,000) promotes early childhood reading through monthly mailings of free, age-appropriate books to registered children in our county who are between birth and age five.

According to the 2023 Point-in-Time count, a one day snapshot of the community, there are around 104 individuals experiencing homelessness in Kingsport. In 2023, 54 people achieved permanent housing with help from the Kingsport homeless coalition. The homeless coalition works to reduce obstacles for individuals by linking resources across organizations that serve the unhoused in the greater Kingsport area.

Kingsport VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) continued in 2023. VITA is a partnership with the IRS where volunteers assist in filing taxes for free for those who quality. VITA was able to process $273,865 in federal tax returns in 2023. 

PROMOTING SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Hope House – Fresh Start Program ($22,944) offers support services for pregnant women, new parents, and extended family members who are in crisis concerning pregnancy, parenting, and providing basic needs for themselves and their young children.

Hope House - Restart Program- ($22,500) provides a residential program with a full range of support for pregnant mothers in crisis in our community to grow, succeed and become self-sufficient. 

Family Promise of Greater Kingsport – Family Self-Sufficiency Program ($18,300) enhances the lives of homeless in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia by providing families with children temporary shelter and assistance so they may become self-sufficient.

Literacy Council of Kingsport – Tutoring Program for Adults ($40,000) helps adults improve their literacy skills and assists students in learning to speak and read English through one-on-one tutoring with trained volunteers.

Small Miracles Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Inc. – Horses Empower Heroes Program ($9,500) promotes the recovery, stability and self-sufficiency of veterans by assisting with the transition from mere survival-mode into resiliency and hope through trauma-focused, relationship-rich, equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT).

UWGK’s 2023 campaign theme was “United We’re Strong" focusing on Greater Kingsport’s collective power to fight for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. Thank you to every donor, volunteer, and service provider in our area who helped raise the $3.03 Million for this year’s campaign! Because of your generosity, we can continue our fight to make the life of every person in our community better.

Data from 2023 unaudited financial records. Copies of the 2023 and 990 will be available June 2024. Copies of previous audits are available at the United Way of Greater Kingsport office.

Click here for a pdf version of the financial report. 

2023 Board of Directors and Staff